The invention relates to a hanger for hanging objects from a vertically extending structure.
Conventional hangers that attach to articles, such as trees and posts, generally involve fasteners that injure or damage the article. Furthermore, some conventional hangers may require tools to attach, remove, and adjust the hangers. Further, other typical hangers have a multitude of fasteners or complex securing mechanisms that may render these hangers difficult and/or time consuming to use.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,730,732 to Jacobs discloses a boiler support having a metal band that wraps around the boiler that is secured with a nut and bolt attached to flanges in the metal band. For adjustment purposes, the band may have slots in it and an end of the band may have a gradually tapering portion that suddenly expands, at the very tip, to a rounded head. The rounded head is normally inserted into a slot and typically held in place between the head and gradually tapering end. A disadvantage of this invention is that the band is weakened due to the adjustment mechanism. The slots in the band as well as the tapered end remove material from the band and may negatively affect the band""s structural integrity.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,441,913 to Darling also relates to a boiler support. Similar to the above reference, this invention relates to a metal band that typically wraps around the boiler and may be secured with a nut and bolt attached to flanges in the metal band. The adjustment mechanism typically involves placing multiple slots in the metal band and positioning an end of the metal band, having a shape of a loop, in a particular slot. Adjustments to the band""s diameter is possible upon placing the looped end in varying slots. Similar to the above reference, this invention""s adjustment mechanism may weaken the overall structural integrity of the metal band because the slots remove material from the band. Moreover, the slots do not appear to be holes but are notches extending from an outer surface of the band into the band""s material. This configuration may also contribute to the band""s weakness.
Both references have limited abilities to support weight hanging from the bands because the bands can fail due to the above mentioned weaknesses in structural integrity.
What is desired, therefore, is an adjustable hanger permitting weight to be hung from it without sacrificing structural integrity.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an adjustable hanger for securely hanging objects.
Another object of the invention is to provide an adjustable hanger having multiple adjustments for major and minor adjustments.
A further object of the invention is to provide an adjustable and toolless hanger.
These and other objects of the invention are achieved by provision of a securing mechanism having a plurality of holes, a proximal end, and a distal end. The hanger also includes a first hole attachment being attached to one of the plurality of holes located at approximately the distal end, a second hole attachment being attached to another of the plurality of holes located at approximately the proximal end, and a closing mechanism for securing the first hole attachment to the second hole attachment.
In certain embodiments, the hanger further includes a second closing mechanism for finely adjusting a distance between the first hole attachment and the second hole attachment. In certain other embodiments, the hanger includes at least one extension extending from the securing mechanism for hanging an object from a cantilevered end.
In another embodiment of the invention, the hanger includes a securing mechanism having a proximal end and a distal end, a closing mechanism for securing the proximal end to the distal end, at least one extension extending from the securing mechanism for hanging an object from a cantilevered end, a pilot hole located on the at least one extension; and a guiding member located on the securing mechanism for positioning the at least one extension relative to the securing mechanism.
In certain embodiments, the hanger includes a recess located on the securing mechanism for further positioning the at least one extension relative to the securing mechanism.
The invention and its particular features and advantages will become more apparent from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings.